Few watches show the automatic rotor on the front of the watch, and none that do, do it like the HM3. MB&F's signature gold "battle axe" style rotor is very well polish and probably the second most noticeable feature on the dial. So much so that it is easy to miss the date disc that goes around it. The date disc turns and is read via a small indicator arrow on the case. The sapphire crystal over the movement section is not only an extremely high quality crystal (measured by clarity), but looks almost transparent. It creates a satisfying effect. With all their playing around with sapphire crystals, MB&F are quickly becoming serious experts on pushing the limits on using interesting sapphire crystal shapes.

Three-dimensional horological engine developed 100% by MB&F
Manual winding with two mainspring barrels in parallel
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 21,600bph/3Hz
Number of components: 311
Number of jewels: 50

It would be wrong for me to suggest that the Outland 3H is the watch for everyone. "Drop everything, go out, and buy this new sensation!" Not a sentiment that applies here. Why? Because being a "different" type of watch RSW intends for a timepiece like this to appeal strongly to a few, and be quizzically starred at by the rest. Personally, I dig the watch a lot. It is a thoroughly modern looking timepiece with Swiss mechanical innards. A watch for the "why do we need a watch generation." The case looks and feels like a gadget. A mechanical watch with the spirit of a digital clock. It is just the type of item that can help introduce a "watch oblivious" generation to the wonderful world of timepieces. I suspect that the tech friendly generation would be very open to a watch like the RSW Outland 3H watch if it was introduced to them properly.

The SM2 automatic movement took Speake-Marin a few years to complete and will find its way into other watches - including most of the Piccadilly case timepieces. The movement is totally unique, and highly decorated - including the pieces you don't even seen. Speake-Marin spares no expense, and cuts no corners time-wise when making and finishing the SM2 movement (with a price to match of course). The SM2 beats at 21,600 v/h (vibrations per hour) and has a power reserve of 72 hours. The plates and bridges are in German silver, and it has an Incabloc shock protection system. For now, the automatic movement indicates the seconds, minutes, and hours - but I can see Speake-Marin building on to the movement in the future to add more complications. Often times the development of an in-house calibre is done to leave room for modules (for other complications) to be built on the movement, etc...

H. Moser & Cie is perhaps a brand you haven't heard of before. They are a smaller company, but I have been noticing more and more advertising from them - so they are getting orders or funding from somewhere. Actually, I understand that H. Moser is one of the people that helped make IWC what it is. The connection between IWC and Moser isn't exactly great these days as I understand it. It is true that as a smaller brand with a very complex watch - quality control issues are going to be of concern. At the same time, given the popularity of the piece, combined with the fact that it has been around for a few years, it is likely that H. Moser & Cie has been able to work some of the kinks out of the mechanism. The movement is all in-house made.

I personally wouldn't want to wear the HM3 (or any MB&F) watch all the time. Why? Because I want to keep the novelty strong. Most people who have these watches consider them highlights of their collection. Their secret weapon when wanting a really impressive watch (to impress not only others, but themselves). Do you really want that to be something you over-use? Items like this are best kept as occasional treats to keep your taste buds sharp. You don't drink from a ,000 bottle of Scotch daily do you? If you have a watch like this, I recommend keeping it around, looking at it often, and once in a while putting it on and showing it off. That is the best way of featuring this artful little mechanical object in your life. I would gladly put the money down for an MB&F watch if I had the means. As seen here, this MB&F Horological Machine Number 3 "Sidewinder" retails for about ,000.

Cvstos Challenge-R 50 Chronograph Watch Available On James List

Sales & Auctions

3 CommentsSeptember 12, 2010by Ariel Adams

Cvstos Challenge-R 50 Chronograph Watch Available On James List

Of course I am reminded of the "bumble bee" forged carbon Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watch. Maybe it is just because of that bold yellow flange ring. Tutima is an excellent dial maker, not only in design, but quality. For the price, there are few brands that make dials so crisp and rich. Only brands like Sinn are competition for this style. The dial is matte black with white lume hour indicators and hands, with proper minute markers. I first thought that the hands were too short, and they sort of appear that way, but they aren't when trying to use the watch. Tutima might benefit from lengthening them just a tad bit, but there is no lack of easy reading here. The placement of the Arabic hour numerals on the flange ring is great. There are few other watches so keen on telling you the time. I have to praise the SuperLumiNova lume application for being so bright. Tutima properly has the day and date on black colored discs to match the dial. The handsome deep-set dial is further benefited from a properly AR coated sapphire crystal over the face.

The Diver meets all Swiss watch industry norms as well as international requirements for diving with a depth rating to 300 meters. Most people wear a dive watch for the sporty looks and because they have an appreciation of the technical achievement. They don’t often plunge to the depths of the ocean to check out the accuracy of the specs. However, if you want to test the Diver’s mettle, AP invites you to do so. On their website they show a world map of urban diving spots, helping you to plan your next underwater excursion.

Look more closely, the two watches in this article are different. Though seriously - while they are cool looking -you'd think that Hublot might have wanted to make them look just a tad bit more different. The major difference of course is the case. One is in a Big Bang case, and the other is in a King Power case - though you'll agree that at a cursory glance they look almost too much alike. One of the reasons for the similarities is the fact that they are both "Aero" watches. These are usually skeletonized chronographs. Thus, the names of these watches are the Hublot Aero Hang Bal Harbour and the Hublot King Power Aero All Black Bal Harbour. Got that?

It comes on a rubber strap with a steel deployment clasp. I like the use of orange stitching, although it is purely cosmetic. Inside the watch is a Sellita SW200 automatic movement that has been decorated. For the price of this watch, I would have liked a bit more. Not that there is anything wrong with the SW200 (equivalent to an ETA 2824), but it can be found in watches at a fraction of the cost of this watch. At the same time, the SW200 does make for a rugged movement in dive style watches. Still, for the price, I feel that there should have at least been a 2892, or equivalent movement. As ETA movements are harder and harder to get, expect to see more from Sellita, and other similar mechanical movement makers.

The entire case is curved a bit, which includes the front and rear sapphire crystals. Despite the curve, the front sapphire crystal has a nice amount of AR coating to reduce glare and make it easy to read. It is also water resistant to 30 meters. To match the brushed bezel on the face of the watch, the rear of the watch also has a brushed bezel on the rear exhibition window. The lugs on the case are pretty great. They are movable so that one end connects to the case, and the other to the black crocodile strap. This allows the larger sized case to fit better on most wrists.

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MB&F HM3 Watch Review

The unique manually wound HMC341 movement has a power reserve of 7 days, a power reserve indicator on the dial, and a perpetual calendar. Have you ever seen a more neatly integrated perpetual calendar mechanism before? Plus, the perpetual calendar is really complex because it can be set forwards and backwards. I also think that you have no mechanical penalties for adjusting the calendar anytime of day. The beautifully designed face has two large leaf-shaped hands and a smaller center arrow hand. That smaller hand is a month indicator (using the hours markers to indicate the 12 months). Then you have a power reserve indicator balanced out by the date on the opposite end. While the date is not a "big date," the disc has larger font so it looks like one almost. Then you have a large subsidiary seconds dial on the face. Just marvelous. On the rear of the watch you have a leap year indicator on the movement. That is it, how cool? A fully functional perpetual calendar that is barely noticeable.

Rock Candy fitted the watch with a really nice thick rubber strap. Each side of the strap has a different emblem logo applied. One for Rock Candy, and the other for Chouette. Makes for a cool look. The rubber strap is comfy and has a butterfly style deployment clasp. It does use one of those "cut to size" straps that I am not a fan of. Meaning that once you size it, you can't ever make it larger. Being such a large sized watch, I have to ask myself if it is too big for the type of wrist it might be worn on in Hong Kong. it is arguably too large for many American women's wrists as well. So sizing it to be snug is possible, but I recommend the watch for women with larger wrists.

And then there is the world time function. You'll notice the list of reference cities around the dial. Those are used when selecting different timezones. On the fly, you can easily switch to any of the major timezones without losing accuracy on the watch. Citizen makes it pretty simple to adjust, thus allowing for a great traveler's companion, or timepiece for people who like to easily know the time in lots of other timezones. Remember, the trick here isn't just the functionality - that has been done. But rather the relatively svelte layout and simple dial.

The case itself is in steel and 43mm wide - almost the same as the T-Touch Expert (but perhaps marginally smaller). Tissot here has departed from using titanium that was so popular with other T-Touch watches. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters. The case lugs look like loops - such as something you'd find on a boat. The rubber strap however is closely fitted to the case and there is no real gap in the loop hole. The design of the case lends itself to being very smooth, such that nothing on the watch will snag or pull at anything if you are moving around quickly on a boat. This also applied to the pushers that have smoothed out like pebbles.